


His First Snowfall

by Rinshi



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Meihem - Freeform, Short, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 03:29:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8733052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinshi/pseuds/Rinshi
Summary: On the retreat from the enemy, Junkrat and Roadhog hole up with Mei and experience something new: snow.





	

Mei wound the bandage tighter around Junkrat’s arm. He was fortunate: the shot had only grazed the meat of his bicep, but it ran the risk of infection if left untreated. Slanting late afternoon sunlight silhouetted the immense form of Roadhog standing watch at the mouth of the cave they huddled in. It was really no more than a cramped cleft in the rock that they had stumbled upon as they had retreated up the mountainside, but it was the best cover they had.

“Ow!” the skinny junker snapped, “It’s s’posed ta be a  _ bandage _ , Snowflake, not a tourniquet!”

“Shhh!” Mei hissed, pressing a finger against Jamison’s lips, “We don’t know that we weren’t followed, so stop being so noisy!”

He swallowed and nodded, and this close Mei couldn't help but notice that his face flushed slightly at her touch. Color threatened to blossom across her own cheeks as she tried not to think about what Jamison's blush might imply, and instead she focused on securing his bandages. Only once she had finished and there was no hail of gunfire or other sign of pursuit did she allow herself a moment to catch her breath. She leaned back against the rock and closed her eyes, willing her heart rate to slow down as blood and adrenaline sang past her eardrums.

When her eyelids fluttered open again she found herself looking up at the sky. She must have fallen asleep at some point. There was no roof to their little hideaway, just a break in the rock that stretched up through the mountain to the cloudy sky above. She recognized the weather conditions, the signs of impending precipitation, just as her eye tracked a small speck of white floating down through the crevice in the rock. It danced and spun gracefully through the air, neatly avoiding every outcropping of stone as it fell deeper into the cave toward them until at last alighting gently on Junkrat’s shoulder.

His reaction was swift and immediate. One moment Jamison was lightly dozing as he sat directly across from Mei, and the next he was on his feet with a startled yelp, grenade launcher in hand as his head whipped from side to side in confusion. Roadhog’s shoulders slumped a little as he heaved a long-suffering sigh.

“What?” the giant man rumbled, barely even turning away from where he still sat at the cave entrance.

“Somethin’  _ bit _ me!” Jamison cried, “Got me on me shoulder!”

He craned his neck as though to examine his own shoulder but only really succeeded in turning around in tight circles a few times before he lowered his gun and felt his shoulder with his hand.

“Don’t look like Oi’m bleedin’,” he muttered, “Bloody insects…”

Mei bit her lips to try to hold it in, but she couldn't quite stop a snort from sneaking out.

“What's so funny, Snowb-  _ GAH! _ There's more of ‘em!”

More snowflakes had found their way into the crevice, and Jamison swung wildly at them as though they were indeed insects that he could shoo away.

“It's- it’s  _ snow _ , silly!” Mei choked out between giggles. She was helplessly laughing now, one hand pressed over her mouth while she held her stomach with the other.

_ “Snow?”  _  Junkrat echoed, his arms frozen mid-swing as he frowned at the fine white flakes peppering the air around him, “Is… Is  _ that _ what it looks like comin’ down?”

“Of course!” Mei giggled, “What did you…?”

She trailed off as she considered what Jamison's confusion might mean. Had he never seen snow falling before? A flare of worry tightened her gut as she thought that she might have offended him by laughing, and she began to fumble out an apology. Before she could really say anything, however, Junkrat was grabbing her hand and pulling her excitedly to her feet. He dragged her behind him right out of the cave (“Don't get shot,” Roadhog advised helpfully as they passed) and into the open evening air.

The sun hadn't quite gone down, but it had lowered beneath the edge of the cloud bank, and so the mountainside and valley below them were awash in hues of burnt gold and polished copper. The bellies of the clouds were lit with a fiery pink glow as the snowflakes danced and sparkled like bright little jewels in the air.

“Well I’ll be stuffed,” Jamison murmured beside Mei, “That’s a corker of a view, ain’t it?”

Mei didn't always fully understand Jamison's more colorful phrases, but there was no mistaking the expression on his face. He was transfixed, gazing wide-eyed up at the snow in rapt wonder as his mouth split in a toothy grin. The view was indeed lovely, but Mei found her eye drawn to Jamison instead. She often had trouble remembering that Jamison was six years her junior, but in that moment she could very well believe it from the boyish awe she saw in his face. She was suddenly very aware that he was still holding her hand, and this time she couldn't suppress the blush that stole across her cheeks.

“You grew up in northern Australia, didn't you?” she asked, desperate for a distraction.

Jamison turned to Mei with a start, his bushy eyebrows raised in surprise.

“How’d ya know that?” he asked.

“The southern part of the continent is the only region to reliably receive any significant amount of snowfall,” she explained, “so if you’ve never seen snow before you must be from the north where snow is very rare.”

Jamison flashed her a smirk. “Clever girl,” he said, but he didn’t offer anything more.

“Say, Snowball, is it always this pretty?” he asked after a moment, returning his gaze skyward.

“Snow is many things,” Mei replied, fidgeting, “It can bring happiness to people. It can be fun and joyful.”

She closed her eyes as thoughts of howling winds, of blocked doors and covered windows and dwindling hope swirled darkly through her mind.

“It is also cold and unforgiving,” she continued, “It can bring fear and darkness and death…”

She reached out her free hand and watched a few delicate flakes land gently on her palm.

“But yes: it is  _ always _ beautiful.”

“So it's a bit like you,” Jamison said with a wink and a quick squeeze of her hand.

“Wh-what?!” Mei cried, blush spreading until her entire face was flushed and hot.

Jamison laughed and let go of her hand, instead putting his arm around her shoulders.

“I seen ya in battle, Snowball!” he chortled, giving her a squeeze, “You can be a right nasty little sheila when ya wanna! All wrapped up nice in a soft an’ fluffy package.”

He buried his face in the fur ruff of her coat with a little giggle.

“Hey!” Mei snapped, pushing him off, “Stop that! You’ll get it all dirty!”

“Aw, c’mon Snowflake!” Jamison pleaded, hugging his chest, “The snow’s pretty an’ all, but it’s bloody cold out here!”

“We’d better get moving, then,” Mei said, smoothing her hair and trying to compose herself, “it’s just going to get colder if this snow keeps up, especially with the sun going down, and then we’ll really be in trouble. It seems like we’re pretty safe, though, now. It doesn’t look like anyone followed us, so hopefully we can get back to the rendezvous point without any trouble.”

“Awright, awright. C’mon, Hog!” Jamison called over his shoulder, “Best get a move on ‘fore we freeze our arses off!”

They gathered their gear and began making their way down the mountainside, Mei leading the way with Junkrat behind her while Roadhog brought up the rear.

“Brrr!” Jamison exclaimed, “This ain’t my kinda weather. Anybody got an extra coat? Or some mittens? Oh, I’d kill fer some mittens…”

Mei giggled and dug a spare pair of knit gloves out of one of her pouches to hand to him. He accepted them eagerly and made a great show of putting them on, even donning one over his prosthetic hand. Mei laughed again and insisted that he keep them; they would probably be much too stretched out for her anyway. She wondered if Jamison was trying to cheer her up after the somber thoughts she’d had outside the cave.

“Y’know,” Jamison said cheerily, “today weren't a total loss. Got ta see me first snow, an’ ain't it a beauty?”

He sidled up next to Mei and lowered his voice so only she could hear.

“An’ really,” he said, scratching the side of his nose as a bit of pink touched his cheeks, “yer the perfect person ta be sharin’ it with, ain't ya?”

Snow could be many things, and Mei had plenty of memories associated with it that were less than pleasant. It seemed to often go hand in hand with the darker elements of her life. It was a weapon she used in battle, a deadly storm that stole away the entire world she knew, and yet here on the mountainside it was the wonder and beauty of something fresh and novel. As she watched Jamison marvel at his first snowfall, Mei was grateful that she now had a happier memory to look back on when the cold rolled in and snowflakes began to fall.


End file.
